Randy Edwards develops and implements multi-layered strategies to defeat, minimize, or avoid complex, high-stakes cases brought against companies. For over twenty-five years, Randy has fought for clients facing class actions and other cases that present significant threats to their business. And for nearly two decades, a significant part of his practice has been defending and advising companies facing privacy and data-security challenges, as well as those providing financial services and consumer products, technology, and services.
Randy manages teams that address all aspects of client problems, from counseling on litigation risk, addressing pre-litigation disputes, and fighting lawsuits from the pleadings, discovery, class certification, dispositive motions, trial, and appeal, and he focuses on strengthening clients’ positions through close collaboration with the clients and bringing the firm’s collective strengths to bear in efficient ways. Randy believes a critical part of successful litigation is ensuring each clients’ key positions are presented in a clear, directed way.
Randy holds a CIPP/US certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He also has been recognized regularly by leading publications for his strong litigation work in a range of areas.
- Defended Ford Motor Company in numerous class-action lawsuits involving hundreds of thousands or millions of potential class members, including two class actions that went to trial and others that settled on favorable terms on the eve of trial. Lead teams that have consistently winnowed claims over multiple phases of major cases.
- Defendants Visa Inc. in class and non-class actions involving merchant and processor data-security breaches and enforcement of risk-management programs, as well as other pre-litigation disputes and litigation involving member banks, merchants, and processors. These disputes have included the most significant data-security breaches in the payments industry.
- Obtained dismissals on the pleadings in multiple privacy class actions for world-leading technology company, including privacy challenges on California and other state laws.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for Hanwha Techwin in biometric privacy class action under Illinois law.
- Obtained dismissal on the pleadings for Fidelity in biometric privacy class action under California law.
- Obtained dismissal on pleadings for TeamViewer in class action brought under various California laws, including California Consumer Privacy Act.
- Secured voluntary dismissals by plaintiffs in biometric privacy class actions under California law against T. Rowe Price and Vanguard.
- Managed mass privacy claims against world-leading technology company.
- Defended eBay Inc. in multiple class actions, including an antitrust challenge to eBay's practices and fees with respect to eBay sellers and a challenge to eBay subsidiary Bill Me Later's practices with respect to certain consumer lending activities.
- Defended world-leading search company in two privacy class actions involving claims under the Wiretap Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act, and state law.
- Represented major health care provider in multiple class actions involving claims under federal privacy law.
- Resolved state enforcement investigation against privately-owned technology company related to company’s privacy practices.
- Advised multiple companies, ranging from small private companies to major public companies specializing in consumer data, regarding various issues involving privacy practices and data-security breach management.
- Defended Aon Hewitt, BlackRock, Fidelity, and Transamerica in ERISA class actions, obtaining either dismissals or favorable settlements in each case.
- Obtained dismissals in several class actions against TransUnion related to consumer reporting claims
- Represented several leading mortgage lenders and servicers in federal and state class actions, including Multi-District Litigation Proceedings involving challenges to loan origination and servicing practices.
- Represented companies involved in marketing, valuation, and sales of private companies in defending class action challenges alleging primary and secondary liability.
- Represented and advised leading mortgage insurer in connection with class-action litigation and other proceedings involving allegations about the mortgage servicing practices and insurance coverage disputes.
- Represented leading financial services company in Department of Labor investigation under ERISA related to pricing issues.
- Served for over two years as national coordinating counsel jointly for two of nation's largest and most recognizable companies regarding pre-trial strategy related to silica litigation.
- Represented several leading consumer goods companies in class actions under state consumer-protection statutes related to marketing and sales practices.
- Represented three inventors in multi-million-dollar state-court litigation related to alleged trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, breach of contract and other claims arising from the individuals' invention of a multiple file-format digital camera.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- US District Court, Southern, Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California, Eastern District of Michigan
- US Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits
Education
- Northwestern University, J.D., 1995: cum laude; Associate Articles Editor, Northwestern University Law Review
- Yale University, B.A., Economics, 1992: cum laude
Honors & Awards
- Named one of the "500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers" by Lawdragon (2024)
- Recognized as a "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation in Commercial, Class Action, Consumer Protection, and Data Privacy (2023-2025)
- Recognized by The Legal 500 US in Financial Services Litigation (2013, 2018), Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action - Consumer Products (2015-2017), and Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action - Automotive/Transport (2010-2011, 2015, 2017, 2020-2021)
- Selected to the National Law Journal’s “Trailblazers - Cybersecurity & Data Privacy” list (2016)
- Named a Top Rated Class Action & Mass Torts Attorney by Northern California Super Lawyers (2016-18)
Professional Activities
Clerkships
- The Honorable Charles E. Wiggins, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Practising Law Institute
- Established and chaired PLI’s annual California Privacy Law program, which is one of PLI’s most highly sought after programs (2019-2024)
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2024,” Practising Law Institute (November 2024)
- Speaker, “The Regulator Perspective,” California Privacy Law 2024, Practising Law Institute (November 2024)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2023,” Practising Law Institute (October 2023)
- Speaker, “The Regulator Perspective,” California Privacy Law 2023, Practising Law Institute (October 2023)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2022,” Practising Law Institute (October 2022)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2021,” Practising Law Institute (October 2021)
- Speaker, “Cyber Theft and Data Privacy Risks in the Context of Arbitration, Mediation, and Participant Information,” ACI’s 18th National Forum on ERISA Litigation (November 2020)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2020,” Practising Law Institute (October 2020)
- Chair, “California Privacy Law 2019,” Practising Law Institute (September 2019)
Related Practices
Related Industries